


Cruel to be kind

by lojo



Series: WIP Folder Cleanout [6]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Animal Death, Gen, Kid Fic, exploring some headcanons, set when they were still in marijoise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 11:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20975303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lojo/pseuds/lojo
Summary: As children playing outside Rocinante finds a stunned bird and makes the mistake of showing his brother.





	Cruel to be kind

**Author's Note:**

> unbetad. i dont know if a 6yo and an 8yo would talk to each other like this but for the purpose of the story lets assume they do. is the title overly obnoxious or

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Rocinante has heard this once in his short life and didn’t understand the concept, wasn’t able to match the idea of kindness with what he understood of cruelty, and he did understand cruelty. He saw it often in his brother, and it surprised him every time. 

Rocinante was playing outside, kneeling in the plush manicured grass with new toy blocks, building them up into towers as high as he could and then pushing them down, laughing in delight at the noise they made when they tumbled down. 

He heard a thump above his head, something that frightened him witless for a moment and he looked up to see what it was, shaking his shaggy hair out of his eyes to see better. A single feather was stuck to the formerly pristine glass of the window of his home and he frowned, not understanding what happened at first until his eyes drop downwards to find a clump of white standing out against the green lawn. A bird! 

He gasps, abandoning his toys and tripping over himself to reach the poor thing. 

The bird sits very still and he holds it as gently as he can between his chubby fingers, a grin growing on his face. A bird! A real life wild bird landed right in his yard, right in front of him! He studies it for a moment and decides it must be a dove with its delicate white plumage and the soft pink beak. How beautiful! It’s so soft and he strokes the feathers lightly between his fingers, recalling how delicate he’s been told birds are and the light weight is so easy to hold. 

Surely this is a sign, he’s been wanting a pet and this would be perfect. 

Doflamingo chooses that moment to emerge from the back door, frowning behind his large glasses, likely to investigate the cause of the sound and Rocinante holds the bird out, proudly showing off his magnificent find.  
“Look, Doffy!” 

“Yuck, what is that?” Doffy makes a face and leans away from the outstretched bird. “Throw it away, it’s dirty.” 

“I think it might be hurt,” Rocinante ignores his brothers instruction and frowns, concerned that the bird isn’t showing signs of life aside from feeling the thrumming of its tiny heart against his palm. He can’t keep it as a pet if it’s dead. “What do I do? Doffy, help me.”

“Okay, fine.” 

Doflamingo holds his hands out and Rocinante is innocent and trusting and entirely too naive because he wholeheartedly believes his brother will try to help him when he hands the bird over. It still hasn’t opened its eyes and Rocinante leans in close to watch as Doffy takes it from him, worriedly fussing that Doflamingo will not be gentle enough. 

Rocinante doesn’t know what he expected from his brother, sympathy maybe, that Doffy might try to save it, find someone who could save the bird. He’s bigger and older and smarter than Rocinante, Roci thought he could go to his brother for help. 

Instead he’s helpless to watch as Doflamingo’s grip tightens on the birds body and tuts and coos and twists its head back in a sharp motion with a terrific CRUNCH. The bird didn’t even try to struggle and then suddenly it’s dead and there’s red blood staining the gorgeous white feathers, blood dripping down Doflamingo’s fingers. 

He recoils in shock, falling backward in his ever-present clumsiness. 

“What have you done? Why would you do that?!” Rocinante sobs, wiping his eyes furiously, trembling when he hears the cracking sound of the bones break over and over in his ears. 

“Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind so I helped it. It was dying anyway, Roci.” He’s entirely too gleeful at Rocinante’s reaction and he speaks as if his explanation makes anything about the situation better. 

There’s blood on Doffy’s hands, dead dove blood when he ruffles Rocinante’s hair affectionately and drops the broken body in front of him. The twisted angle of the birds head, that cute pink little beak sticking out in a way it shouldn't makes Rocinante sob all over again. 

“You could have saved it!” He says between hiccups, “You’re a- a monster!”

Doflamingo draws himself up to full height and grins down at Rocinante.  
“Oh, you think so? I’m the monster because I killed it?” He wipes his bloodied hands on his fine silk shirt, staining the fine fabric. Who knew a small bird could have so much bright blood. 

Roci nods, lips trembling in his shock and outrage at his brothers unexpected cruelty. 

“Well, you’re the one who gave it to me. If I’m a monster then what does that make you?” Doflamingo’s grin is wide and Rocinante blanches, riddled with guilt. What does this make him? Worse than Doffy? The bird would still be alive if he hadn’t asked for help. Why did he do it, he shouldn’t have. He shouldn’t have.

**Author's Note:**

> feels weird posting something that isn't porn.


End file.
